Find Your New Base

I exercise at the Orange Theory Fitness location in Lenexa. The workout is based on getting your heart rate into zones in order to burn calories. The green zone is often referred to as your base pace. This means that it is a pace you can maintain for a large amount of time. The orange and red zones are designed to challenge you more.

Recently, I was on the treadmill on a day when we were being challenged to “find our new base.” The concept being that as our bodies become more conditioned, we can push them harder. What we consider our “base pace” needs to increase as we progress. The instructor said something like “ you will never change...unless you change.” It suddenly dawned on me that I need to find my new base in life...not just in the gym.

I’m a mom in my mid 40’s. I have teenage boys, one about to graduate high school. By now, I should be really organized and have this “adult” thing down. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Most days I’m out of groceries, out of laundry, and out of my mind exhausted. I constantly have misplaced clutter in every room of my house. I can never find something when I need it. I will try to tidy up one room but then I lose focus and start on another space. Eventually, I start feeling overwhelmed and just take a nap.

I often wonder what it is like to have everything put away. What if I could actually wake up on a Saturday morning and only think about the fun things my family can do today. Instead, I have had a growing “to do list” haunting me for about 20 years now. I can never truly relax because there is always something I need to fix.

I need to find my new base and make my home a priority. I have to make changes in my routine and my habits in order to keep my sanity. Have you ever noticed how much better you sleep when your room is clean? Now throw some laundry on the floor and add some boxes in the corner. None of this stuff is on your bed. It shouldn’t have any effect on your rest but it does. Somehow your subconscious knows you have unfinished business in the dark. It is the same for my kitchen counter. I can be in the best mood but if I walk in my house and see that I no longer have a countertop because it is covered in mail, dishes, and who knows what...my whole attitude changes. My smiles turns to disgust. My cheer turns to depression. It eats away at me constantly. I’m so afraid that a neighbor will drop by unannounced and be mortified by what they see inside my home.

I can’t live like this but I’m never going to change...unless I decide to change. I’m trying to slowly form new habits. Every change doesn’t have to be substantial or grand. For example, I have never had a problem leaving dirty dishes on the counter or in the sink overnight. My sleep is way more important than my clean kitchen. (I know. You can judge me later). If I can make it a rule that I clean up every mess immediately then I will wake up to a beautiful, clean, and more importantly...a peaceful kitchen. Isn’t that a more positive way to start the day? This will be a long process for me but it is never too late to make self improvements. Are you stuck in the same “base pace?” Think about how you can challenge yourself today.